Toothbrush holder



Mmh 13,1951 M, PERUN 2,544,856

TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER Filed July 30, 1948 Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER Maurice Perlin, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 30, 1948, Serial N 0. 41,680

3 Claims.

cilitate the positioning of the brushes therein. 1

' The holder is provided with a plurality of air vents and means toguide the flow. of air across *the faces of the brushes when the frontwall is -'closed, to cause the bristles of each brush to be dried soonafter it i replaced in the holder afte use.

The holder of the present invention may be 'made from metal, but it ispreferably made from a suitableplastic material, for example a syntheticresinous material either in a thermoset or thermoplastic state. Examplesof the former resin are unsaturated alkyds and resins of the Bakelitetype such as phenol-formaldehyde resin, and'examples of the latter resinare polystyrene,

polyethylene, polymethacrylate, a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinylacetate, etc.

The structure by which the above advantages are attained will bedescribed in the following I specification, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tooth brush -;holder embodying theinvention, shown with the front wall open and a single brush positioned"therein;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken generally along the line22 of Fig. 1, but

omitting the tooth brush and showing the front wall in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sect onal view through the hinge portionsof the holder, showing them in disassembled relationship; and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a back wall havingintegral flanges 3, 4, 5 and 6 extending rearwardly from its edges. Eachflan e is of the same depth so that the flanges will fit flush againstthe wall upon which the holder is supported and will space the back wallof the holder from the supporting wall to form an air spacetherebetween. A pair of hollow cylindrical projections 1 also projects.rearwardly from back wall 2 a distance equal to the depth of flanges 3,4, 5 and 6. The opening in each projection l registers with an aperture8 (Fig. 3) in back wall 2, .so that screws 9, having their heads seatedin apertures 8, may be driven into the supporting wall to secure theholder in place. Preferably the apertures 8 are counterbored to permitthe heads of screws 9 to fit flush against back wall 2.

A bottom wall l0, integral with back wall 2, curves forwardly from. aline substantially intermediate the height of back wall 2, as shown inFig. 3. A plurality ofrectangular apertures l I is provided in bottomwall it! in transversely spaced alignment. Each aperture H is largeenough to freely'receive the handle H of one tooth brush,

but is not large enough to permit the bristle end B to passtherethrough. Apertures I I are located adjacent the bottom of thecurved portion of bottom wall ill to facilitate entry of each brushhandle into one of the apertures. Even in the dark the user may hold atooth brush handle against back wall 2 and when the tooth brush is moveddownwardly the curve of bottom wall I!) will guide the handle toapertures I I'. In order to facilitate the seeing of apertures H in thedark, the edge portions around each aperture maybe coated with anysuitable luminescent material, as indicated at H.

Flange 6 has a pair of vertically spaced projec- I tions l2 and isextending towards the left, as seen in Fig. 1. The lower wall M. ofprojection 52 and the upper wall 15 of projection I3 are notched, asindicated at E6 and I1, respectively, to form a hinge sleeve forsupporting the front cover. A side wall l8 of the front cover, extendingrearwardly from front wall l9, has a hinge lug 28 projecting therefrom.The length of lug 2% is slightly less than the vertical distance betweenwalls M and i5 so that it will fit therebetween. A pair of pins 2|projects vertically from the top and bottom of lug 20 and fit intonotches I6 and I! to hinge front wall l9 to back wall 2. Although thesinge structure described is preferred, the specific hinge does notconstitute part of the invention, and front wall l9 may be hinged toback wall 2 in any suitable manner.

Inaddition to side wall l8, front wall It! also has a similar side wall22 and a top wall 23 in tegral therewith. An integral flange 24 extendsrearwardly from the lower edge of front wall 19 and inwardly from sidewalls It and 22. When front wall I 9 is closed, as shown in Figsj2 and3, the rear edges of side walls I8 and 22 and top wall 23 abut theexposed face of back wall 2.

Side wall 22 has an ear 25 projecting therefrom. Ear 25 frictionallyengages flange 4 to hold the front of the holder in closed position.Flange 6 is provided with a pair of reinforcing ribs 26 spaced adjacentopposite edges of car 25 to stillen the area of flange 4 engaged by ear25 and to guide the ear to the proper closing position of the frontcover. A finger piece 21 projects outwardly from side wall 22 at rightangles to to facilitate opening the front of the holder.

When the front of the holder is in closed position the portion of flange24 extending rearwardly from the lower edge of front wall l9 does notreach the forward edge of curved bottom'wall i and thus leaves an airspace therebetween. Flange 2:1 is also spaced below the forward edge ofbottom wall 40. Flange 3,..extending rearwardly from the top edge ofback wall 2, is notched to provide a plurality of air 'vents 28. Backwall 2 is also provided with a plurality of .slots .29 forming air ventspositioned above the area normally occupied by the bristle ends of thetooth brushes housed in the holder. A fin 30 extends rearwardly fromback wall 2 a distance equal to the depth of flanges 3, 4, and 6. Fin $0is located below air vents 29 and extendstransversely across the entirewidth of back wall 2.

In addition to reinforcingback 'wall 2, fin 30 closes the air spacebehind back wall 2 and forces air entering vents 28 to flow throughvents. 29

and across the faces of brusheshoused inthe holder when the front of theholder is closed.

'The air flowing through vents 2B and 29 also flows through apertures ll and the airspace between flange 24 and bottom wall or the flow of airmay be in a reverse direction. Thecirculation of air caused by theventilation of the holder constantly serves to dry the bristles andthereby keeps the tooth brushes in better condition for use.

Although I have described a preferredembodi- I ment of my invention inconsiderable detail, it

will be understood that the description is intend- 'ed to beillustrative, rather than restrictive, as

many details may be modified or changed without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to berestricted to the exact structure described.

I claim:

1. A tooth brush holder comprising a back wall, rearwardly extendingflanges adapted to fit against a wall upon which theholder is supported,an apertured bottom wall projecting forwardly from said back wall, afront wall, 'a pair of side walls projecting rearwardly from said frontwall, one of said side walls being. hinged to said back wall, said frontwall leaving an air space between its lower edge and the forward edge ofsaid bottom wall when in closed position, a fin projecting rearwardlyfrom said back wall and extending substantially across the width of saidback wall, said fin being of the same depth as said flanges, and aplurality of air vents extending through said back wall above said fln.

2. A tooth brush holder comprising a back wall, rearwardly extendingflanges adapted to fit against a wall upon which the holder issupported, an apertured bottom Wall projecting forwardly from said backwall, a front wall, a pair .of. sidewalls projecting rearwardly fromsaid front wall, one of said side walls being hinged to said back wall,said other side wall being fric- -tionally engageable with said backwall to hold said front wall in closed position, said front wall leavingan air space between its lower edge and the forward edge of said bottomwall when in closed position, a fin projectingrearwardly from said backWall and extending substantially across the width of said back wall,said fin being ofpthe :rearwardly from said back wall and extendingacross the width of said back wall, the flange extending rearwardly fromthe upper edge ofsaid back wall being notched to provide a plurality ofair vents, and a plurality of air vents extending through said back wallabove said fin.

MAURICE PERLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 577,204 Patten Feb.,16,-.1897735,700 Bonney Aug. 11, 1903 1,303,884 Goodnow May 20, :1919 1,727,176Phillips Sept. 3;.1929 1,803,602 Dey May 5, 1931 2,422,051 Swanson June10,1947 2,472,058 Artley June 7,1949

